Falls continue to be the leading cause of death for construction workers. OSHA requires all employees to be trained to recognize fall hazards and understand methods for compliance that apply to the specific job task. The best fall protection method is guardrails. Here are some basic guardrail requirements.
- Federal OSHA requires that each employee on a walking/working surface with an unprotected edge, which is 6 feet or more above a lower level, shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or a personal fall arrest system. (For scaffolding it is 10 feet or more)
- Posts for wood, pipe, or structural steel guardrails shall be spaced no more than 8 feet apart on centers.
- Guardrails and posts must be free of any protrusions that may puncture, lacerate or snag a worker, possible causing an injury or fall.
- The top edge of upper railings or equivalent guardrail system members shall measure 42 inches, plus or minus three inches, above the walking/working level.
- If wire rope is used for top rails, it shall be flagged at not more than 6-foot intervals with high-visibility material.
- The top-rail of a guardrail system must be capable of withstanding 200 pounds of force in any outward or downward direction while the mid-rail must be able to withstand 150 pounds of force in any outward or downward direction.
- A mid-rail may be replaced by a panel or screen that reaches from the top-rail to the work platform provided it still will withstand 150 pounds of force.
- Toe-boards are required if there is a possibility of objects rolling off the work platform.
- Toe-boards must be at least 3½ inches high and mounted within ¼ inch of the work platform and have no spaces greater than 1 inch along its length.
- All holes should be guarded. A “hole” is defined as a gap or void 2 inches or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface. (Don’t forget that a skylight can be considered a hole if it will not support 2 times the expected load).
- A warning line system is not allowed as fall protection for a “hole”.